1. Technical Field
The present invention relates in general to an apparatus and method for cleaning the human body. In particular, the present invention relates to a skin cleaner apparatus having a sonic and/or hypersonic motor to facilitate cleaning of human skin.
2. Description of the Related Art
Various forms of cleaning tools are known in the art of cleaning objects. For example, cleaning tools are known for cleaning the human body as well as for cleaning non-human objects. In the art of articles designed for cleaning the human body, cleaning articles are known such as an ultrasonic cleaner that is combined with a liquid cleaning solvent to clean a person's face (see U.S. Pat. No. 6,569,170).
In addition, to clean the human body, cleaning solutions are known to be combined with various articles that may assist with cleaning. For example, soap and water is known to be combined with a brush to assist with cleaning various areas of the human skin; likewise, soap and water is known to be combined with a sponge or a washcloth to provide a gentle abrasiveness to assist with skin cleaning. Other combinations of cleaning solutions and cleaning articles exist to encourage cleaning different areas of the human body for different purposes.
In the art of cleaning tools designed to assist in the cleaning of non-human objects, sonic and hypersonic motors are known to be used. These motors are used as part of cleaning tools in order to expedite cleaning time and to increase effectiveness of the cleaning of mechanical surfaces such as hospital equipment. In addition, these motors are known to assist with general cleaning and hygienic maintenance.
Cleaning tools that include both sonic and hypersonic motors are known to assist in cleaning hospital equipment such as surgical tables, surgical tools, and so forth. Further, in addition to simply cleaning hospital equipment, these sonic and hypersonic cleaning tools are even known to assist with sterilization procedures of equipment.
Beyond hospital equipment, cleaning tools having sonic and hypersonic motors are known to be used to assist in the cleaning of non-human objects such as motorcycle and auto engines, kitchen utensils, household fixtures, and other objects such as walls, tiles, and so forth.
In view of the prior art, efforts to improve upon human body cleaning articles have taken advantage of the benefits that can be realized by combining hardware cleaning tools with human body cleaning articles. However, efforts to improve upon human body cleaning articles appear to have focused on enhancing enjoyment of the cleaning process rather than utility. For example, prior art improvements to children's cleaning articles appear to have focused on simple aroma enticements (U.S. Pat. No. 7,350,256) or entertainment devices meant to positively encourage a child to properly clean their own body (U.S. Pat. App. No. 2010/0287720 A1).
Apparently, although ultrasonic technologies have been used to enhance adult skin cleaning articles such as the invention of U.S. Pat. No. 6,569,170, as demonstrated by the prior art, designers of prior art cleaning articles have apparently intentionally avoided using the sonic and ultrasonic technologies to enhance children's cleaning articles.
In addition, the ultrasonic cleaning tool designers appear to have focused on developing a gentle application of this ultrasonic technology. Apparently, the use of sonic cleaning technologies that have heretofore been used to create a more abrasive cleaning tool have focused on improving the cleaning of non-human mechanical devices.
As those of ordinary skill the art may know, cleaning the human body is not simply a chemical reaction of a cleaning solution contacting the human skin. Cleaning of the human skin relates to abrasion and the number of scrubs applied to the human skin in combination with application of the cleaning solution upon the human skin.
In view of the above related art, what is needed is a cleaning apparatus for cleaning the human skin that can offer enhanced scrubbing of human skin through increasing the number of scrubs that are offered by the cleaning apparatus. In addition, a cleaning apparatus is needed that encourages children to use the apparatus for a sufficient time to be thoroughly cleaned.